Monochrome Ocean
by Ember Mage
Summary: The uprising in the Dark Ocean has begun. Hikari is wanted again. Miyako knows about this. Somehow Ken is dragged into this. Trials of trust, friendship, and the darkness ensue. [02 x Tamers x Frontier x Savers Takehika x Miyaken x maybe friendly Koukou]
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Digimon Adventure 02_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd.

* * *

**Author's note:** I haven't done Digimon fanfiction in... positively a long time (years), if ever, thus, I present you this piece I've been thinking of since drawing Hikari fanart.

There also will be spoilers for those who haven't followed the series to where I am at now, so read at your own risk!

* * *

**Monochrome Ocean  
Prologue**

* * *

Since I was a child back in the 5th grade, the Ocean of Darkness has been one of my struggles up until this day. Some call it schizophrenia, some treat it as an epidemic, but either way, it's been haunting me for quite some time now. It's never been able to go away completely. It strikes me when I least expect it, and the ghostly pleads for help still linger in eternal echoes in my psyche. 

The ocean is _real_, and most certainly not part of my imagination. I've actually been to this actual location as many times as I have seen it in my vision. I've received a plethora of headaches from being forced to shift into its dimension. Whenever I fully recover before disappearing into the ocean completely, my clothes were either wet or dusted with sand. All the scars I've received from battle in the beach have stayed. A select couple of allies have been there with me, witnessing the reality of this tragic terror: Tailmon has fought two gruesome battles in the area. Takeru-kun has flown in agile streaks through its air. Ichijouji-kun has touched its poisonous waters. Miyako-san has fallen into its sands.

No one knows about this besides my friends, mainly the allies I've already mentioned. Onii-chan and my other friends appear to be aware of it and often ask me if I'm fine, which I answered yes to. After what I've been through, I was convinced that it was over. I had hoped that the ocean would no longer remain in my nightmares. I thought it would leave me alone since I declined the Dagomon's request to help reproduce an army, since Miyako-san convinced me that my light can guide my way out, since Ichijouji-kun sent Demon back into the dimension of horror. _It's over_, I whispered over and over to myself.

It's still there.

I see it in my dreams every night, from the moment my eyelids dim my view to my waking moments. According to Koushirou-san, scientifically, my dreams occur when I fall past the five stages of sleep and approach REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep). REM sleep is the process of revisiting the same five stages and is said to be much more hard to wake up from. It is associated with tense muscles and vivid dreams.

However, I know it's anything but a dream. It's all too real, and the connections bridging from light to darkness remains strong. When I feel myself falling into REM sleep (supposedly, that is), I feel myself waking up, collapsed in the icy sand of a distant shore, slow rhythms of waves beating back and forth in an erratic pattern. _Strange_, I would first think. _Whenever I go to the beach for a trip or so, it's never been this cold._ Then, when I open my eyes, I would discover that I was — _there_, in that place considerably equal to hell. In front of my vision lay the monochrome ocean, a bitter, lonely place for those who punish and those who would be punished.

The skies were cold and saturated. There was no sunlight when it was seemingly daytime, between soft dawn and departing dusk. Fog breathed in wisps across the strip of dark, opaque water (described as the transfer of vapor pressure, as some scientists would put it). It was hard to see anything but the white vapor swirling around and around, and you couldn't even see where you were going. You were a lost puppy in a place like this, with no place to go and no idea where to start. The lighthouse in the distance couldn't guide you and meerly stood over the cliff, mocking you with misleading light.

If worse comes to worse, the monsters would strike. They're not even Digimon (considering this was a dimension separate from the Digital World), but figments of darkness warped into the shapes of friendly, everyday Digimon. If I may recall, there appears to be a war, a rebellion, an issue about fighting this "Lord", which was why I was summoned by the Dagomon in the beginning of 5th grade. The pain and suffering hasn't ended yet for those monsters. Kind and justly as they may look, you can never be sure if you can trust them or not. They might force you to acquiesce to a greater command that you haven't agreed to when you've only agreed to one condition (referred as the foot-in-the-door phenomenon, as I had came upon in a book one day). They may turn their backs on you and leave you for the dead.

The worst part is you cannot escape from this nightmare. Once you're tainted by it, once the Dagomon choose you, you're haunted. You're definitely haunted forever. There was no way in nor any way out of this monochrome ocean.


	2. Slightly Schizophrenic

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Digimon Adventure 02_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd.

* * *

**Author's note:** I should probably clear up on the timeline and ages. Since _Digimon Adventure 02_ took place in 2002, this story takes place two years after, in presumably 2004. This would indicate that Hikari, Takeru, and Daisuke are all first years in Odaiba Junior High School (7th grade). Ken is also a first year even though he lives in Tamachi. Miyako is a second year (8th grade). Koushirou is a third year (9th grade).

If you're wondering where Iori is, he is in his final year in elementary school (sixth year/6th grade), thus he is not with the group at school. If you're thinking where Taichi, Yamato, and Sora are, they have already graduated and are first years (10th grade) in Odaiba High School. Jou's a second year (11th grade) in high school as well, and I'm guessing he probably attends a different, much more prestigious school than the latter. If you're asking about Mimi (who would be a third year like Koushirou), I was originally going to include her but found it unreasonable to have her relocate in Japan when she and her family are still leading happy lives in New York.

* * *

**Monochrome Ocean  
Chapter 1: Slightly Schizophrenic**

* * *

"Hikari!"

The girl immediately blinked open her brown eyes and saw Tailmon's image hovering above her in the mild darkness. Her eyes trailed around the room, tracing the corners of the ceiling and the details of her dimly lit room. She was back in her room. Maybe she had always been in that room, but seconds before Hikari had heard the sound of waves breaking against eroded land. She had felt herself shiver, not from the chilly embrace of the malevolent weather, but from the feeling of being doomed.

"Hikari, are you okay?" asked Tailmon again, looking at her partner in worry.

Groaning, Hikari gingerly touched her cheek, damp with cold sweat. Turning over and attempting to sit up, Hikari answered, "Yeah, I guess so." 

"Hikari!" gasped a different voice, and Hikari found Taichi peering over the bunkbed that the siblings shared. He had heard Tailmon call his sister's name, and immediately assembled to his feet. Agumon groggily followed his suit slowly, but even so his eyes did seem a bit concerned. "Hikari, what happened?" questioned Taichi hastily. "Are you sick? Did you get a fever?" 

Hikari rubbed her temples and gave a weak smile. "I'm fine, Onii-chan. I'm not sick. Maybe it was just a bad dream." 

Taichi would not let his dearest sister off the hook and made her let him feel her forehead. After constantly placing his palm on her forehead in several positions for several minutes, Taichi was convinced that Hikari wasn't sick. With a relieved sigh, he gave Hikari a friendly pat on her hand. "Don't work yourself too hard, Hikari. I'm sure you'll do well on that test this week." 

_Test_? _What test_? Hikari was perplexed for a moment, and then remembered about that exam that would take place this week. She had been concerned about it and had spent the last couple of days going over the content with Takeru and Daisuke. Easing herself into a smile, she closed her eyes and laid down, pulling the covers over her shoulders. "Mmm, I guess."

For some reason, Tailmon frowned at this, but said nothing.

"If there's anything wrong, talk to me, 'kay?"

"Okay." 

Taichi crawled into the bottom bunk, followed by Agumon. "'Night, Hikari."

"'Night, Onii-chan." 

Hikari twisted into a comfortable sleeping position, and let her body relax. Something didn't feel right, though, and Hikari felt as if something was eating at her. She _knew_ her concern was not about the test, but rather what she had been visualizing instead of the blackboard at school. Her visions had been why she wasn't able to focus at school, and why she spent her time with her friends studying. The sound of the dark creatures beseeching for her help still sent chills down her spine. Compared to her nightmares, the test seemed like nothing.

Hikari had always been the somewhat clairvoyant girl of the group: she knew a creature was a Digimon when she saw one, and she was able to tell whether he had a heart of gold or a heart of soot. She could sense Digimon and its feelings better than anyone in the group, yet with this creatures she couldn't detect their feelings. They were hard to read, and she didn't know what to do anymore.

Hikari didn't know why she was being called again — it was _over_, she had reminded herself. Since the time she had rejected the creatures' offer to fight the Lord, she had hoped that the monsters wouldn't come back again. The demons still returned, only this time more forceful and threatening. She didn't know how much she could hold back anymore.

Hikari was surprised at how well she hid this from her friends and family. She had suspected that Takeru or Tailmon might've sensed how distant and timid she had been lately. She thought maybe Taichi had caught on with how she had been untalkative recently.

No one noticed. Maybe they had, but didn't suspect it was the situation with the ocean. Although sometimes Tailmon, Takeru, Miyako, and even Taichi asked Hikari if she was okay, Hikari would acquiesce. She didn't want them to worry. Even if she was suffering, she didn't want them to become involved with her own problems. Maybe the monsters had a higher advantage. Maybe they would even go after her friends as well, which was the last thing she wanted. She was their opponent. They called her, not her friends.

"Hikari." Tailmon's voice probed into Hikari's train of thought.

The girl looked to her right, where Tailmon was sitting. The feline had been scrutinizing Hikari closely this whole time, and there was a predatory look in her eyes. "What is it, Tailmon?" Hikari whispered.

"Is it... is it _that_ again?" 

Hikari didn't understand what Tailmon was going at. "Is it... what?"

Tailmon sighed and crawled away. "Nothing. Never mind. Just go to sleep."

* * *

During class the day after, it happened again. To Hikari, she felt that for some reason the ceiling was dripping water even though the sun streamed friendly beams of warmth into the classroom. If she had told her classmates that the ceiling was leaking, she would only receive weird glances or laughing jeers. 

The ceiling not only dripped, but Hikari could hear the sound of a wave breaking upon the shores. She looked around, but only saw nothing but an endless body of gray ocean surrounding her. Her hands were wet, be it from perspiration or the vapor of the ocean, she didn't know.

_Not again. Not again_! she lamented over and over to herself, dreading this repeating moment.

Hikari wanted to scream, but knew no one would hear her. Balling her hands up to fists, closing her eyes, and focusing on being in the Real World barely prevented Hikari from shifting dimensions.

What had _really_ saved her was her teacher's command.

"Yagami, please give us the answer to problem 13."

Considering Hikari sat furthermost in the back of the room, Hikari knew no one saw what had happened to her. She snapped into attention at the sound of her teacher's voice, and looked down at her desk. Her textbook was open and the worksheets blank. The math seemed like a different language for her. Perspiration started to build, and her heartbeat started racing as she nervously stared at the problem. She could feel the eyes of her peers boring into her, and knew that she was on her own.

Hikari's eyes widened as she realized how to figure this problem out — Miyako had helped her with a similar problem the day before. Quickly scribbling the equations on her worksheet, she hastily stood up and speedily crowed, "_X_ equals 5 and _Y_ equals 4!"

The teacher nodded in approval. "Correct, but make sure you have the answer prepared next time."

"Y-Yes, teacher." Hikari shakily took her seat and heaved a deep sigh. 

Class had saved her for now, but she knew it wouldn't last as long as the monsters kept calling her.

* * *

Lunchtime.

Hikari knew the monsters would not dare to summon her when people paid attention to her, which was why she stayed close to her friends while eating her bentou. As soon as class was over, she hurried to the computer room, where her friends usually hung out. Today, only Koushirou was not there due to helping a student prepare for high school entrance exams (which would not take place until almost a year later, but it was never a crime to prepare early).

Although technically the Digimon weren't permitted at school, they came anyway and often stowed away in the children's backpacks to hide. Since elementary school, the group had gotten into the habit of transporting the Digimon to school in their backpacks and satchels. It seemed extremely weird to not bring them, Takeru had once noted earlier in the school year.

As usual, Hikari tried preparing for the test again, and Takeru sat next to her, peering over shoulder at her study guide. Daisuke, however, was not pleased with studying again, not to mention Takeru's physical proximity with Hikari still bugged him for some reason.

"Studying, studying!" breathed Daisuke, annoyed. "Is this all we're going to do? There's more to life than just _math_!"

"Which is why you won't pass the test," retorted Miyako, taking a bite from her lunch. "That means you'll flunk school, and will never be able to graduate. You'll become a hobo and go on dumpster dives for food, leaving your dignity and sanity out into the trash."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Miyako," grumbled Daisuke, crinkling his soda can.

"Daisuke, how rude!" Miyako stood up, frowning at the younger boy. "This is your senpai you're talking to, not to mention the person that helped you study for your last test... which you failed, of course." She shrugged and shook her head for emphasis. "Oh, what to do for poor Daisuke-kun?"

Daisuke threw up his arms in disgust. "That's because you _never_ helped! Whenever I had both you and Ken over, you'd be all, _Ken-kun_! _Ken-kun_! _Want to do something together over the weekend_? _Let's make out_! ... something like that."

Miyako blushed and, as a reflex, aggressively brandished a fist at the boy's presence. "I never said _that_!"

"Sure you did! Even ask my sister, and she'll tell you!"

"That's _such_ a hyperbole! You are a total liar!"

"There they go again," commented Chibimon, slurping his orange juice. 

"Daisuke-san has a point though," replied Poromon between bites of his osenbei. "Miyako-san _is_ rather fond of Ichijouji-san. He's basically all she ever converses about nowadays."

"I _heard_ that, Poromon!" screeched Miyako, wheeling around to face her Digimon partner. Poromon gulped at her angry expression and nearly choked on his food. Chibimon nervously backed away. "Whose side are you on, anyways?" she roared, running over and squishing the poor bird Digimon.

Tailmon sighed in a way that made her appear peeved and irritated. "This is why you don't mock a girl in love. They say a girl in love is the strongest warrior."

Patamon looked at Tailmon, his mouth looped into an astonished O. "I never heard anything like that," he murmured in amazement.

On the other side of the room, Hikari and Takeru were still going over their notes. Hikari found that studying helped her think about something other than the ocean, rendering her unable to focus on her own worries. While Takeru was busy going over systems of linear equations, from the corner of her eye, Hikari thought she saw water drip. She averted her gaze to her left, but only saw that it had come from the dewy flowers the Gardening Club had watered earlier. Why did the Gardening Club choose to put a flower pot in this room? It was getting distracting.

She couldn't focus anymore. No, Miyako and Daisuke's squabbling had little to do with it; she had learned to tolerate it over the years. All she could think about was the ocean. Thoughts about what had happened in the morning flooded back into her mind.

_No. I don't want this. Please, just leave me alone..._

"Hikari-chan?"

Hikari blinked, and saw that Takeru had stopped writing. Her childhood friend gazed at her in an expression mixed with confusion and worry. She looked down at her half-eaten lunchbox and the example problems that Takeru was adding onto her notes. She realized what she was supposed to be doing and laughed nervously, trying to make up for her hesitation. 

"Ah, Takeru-kun," Hikari quickly filled in. "Could you explain that to me again? I didn't hear you." 

"Hikari-chan, you don't seem well today," Takeru remarked, causing the rest of the group to turn and look at the girl. Miyako and Daisuke had even stopped bickering. The Digimon had stopped eating and were eying her; not even Chibimon was chomping on chocolate treats. Hikari could see Tailmon's frown become much more evident... it was the same exact expression she had towards her that morning.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. 

"Oh," was all Hikari could say. She was speechless, and the atmosphere became much more tense. Finally, after what seemed like a long time, Hikari slumped her shoulders. She slowly lowered her head and murmured, "I'm just tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all."

Daisuke walked over to where Hikari was sitting and gave her a friendly pat on the back. "You're just overworking yourself, Hikari-chan," he reassured her. "Don't worry about the test. It's going to be fine."

_But it's not about the test_, Hikari wanted to say. Instead she looked at Daisuke's sincere expression and nodded. "You're right."

Tailmon opened her mouth as if to say something, but decided against it and closed it again. 

"That's true," Miyako agreed. "Now, _Daisuke_ on the other hand..."

"Do you need to start this again?" Daisuke glared at the older bespectacled girl.

"Well, I'm just being honest!" scoffed Miyako.

"And _I'm_ being honest when I say you're annoying!"

Miyako gave a dramatic gasp. "You did not just say that, Daisuke! Take that back!"

Daisuke stuck his tongue out at her. "Make me!"

"I'll be ever so _glad_ to!" The older girl was already pushing up her sleeve.

Hikari blinked. Watching Miyako and Daisuke argue as well as Takeru helping her study gave her heart a leap when she knew how much she cared about them, and how much they cared about her. She knew it didn't seem right for her not telling them about the rise of the ocean, but felt that it was for the best... not for her, but for them as well.

They didn't need to be weighed down by her problems.

* * *

School was over, and it was time to go home.

After standing for a few minutes by the shoe rack, Hikari stopped waiting for Daisuke to walk home with her. She had forgotten that he had to go to the Soccer Club straight after school was out. Takeru lived in the opposite direction of where she lived, but Hikari would've been delighted by his company anyway. Unfortunately, he claimed that he had to run a couple of errands before heading home. Koushirou was out of the question — it was true he lived in an apartment complex close to hers, but he was always busy, and every afternoon, he had to go to cram school. Miyako and Tailmon were nowhere to be found. All of this meant she was alone for time being.

The building was quiet. All the students either had gone to their respective clubs or left the school building. There was no one around.

Hikari hated being alone. It filled her with a disgusting feeling that she couldn't describe and detail.

Moreover, it gave _them_ the chance to drag her into their own world again.

The trials began again.

It all began the same way: if not by the persistant feeling that something was _dripping_ or becoming _wet_, either the shadows would seem to move or a fog would build up. _It's happening again_, was all Hikari could think, biting her lip furiously. _It's happening again_.

Suddenly, she sensed something behind her. It was as if a dimensional wave had just passed her, and she felt as if there was someone watching her. The cold, looming emotion crawled up into her stomach and made her feel sick. Hikari felt her pulse quicken and dared not to see what was behind her. The shadows warped and appeared to form figures. 

_Help us_, the shadows seemed to moan. _Help us, Chosen One. We need your assistance... your guidance... your Light._

_W-Who are you_? Hikari wanted to know, clutching her satchel tighter. _**What**__ are you_?

_Come with us, and we'll show you. Come._

_I don't want to. I don't want to_!

A hand clamped down onto Hikari's shoulder, elliciting a squeak from the frightened girl. Hikari was about to turn around and give the monster a sucker punch, but what she saw shocked her even more.

_This was_... 

"Hikari-chan!" Miyako suddenly popped up from behind her with a grin as bright as the sun.

Hikari nearly jumped, but was thrilled to see Miyako. "Mi-Miyako-san!!" 

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a monster." 

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just... surprised." Obviously an understatement, but indeed Hikari was. She could still feel her heart throbbing against her chest as its pace began to slowly drop.

Miyako laughed apologetically. "Sorry about that. Oh, by the way, where's Tailmon?"

"I don't know. She should've been here by now." Hikari shrugged. "She keeps thinking she'll get caught by the school staff. Why are you here?"

"Because there's no meeting for the Computer Club, silly! Didn't you remember? And I had clean-up duty this week, so... here I am!" Miyako whipped out her purple cell phone, which dangled a phone charm Hikari had gotten her for her last birthday. "I'm thinking of making cookies when we study over at Daisuke's this weekend. You still like sugar cookies, right? Don't worry, I'll definitely include them. What kind of cookies do you think Ken-kun would like, though? Chocolate, white chocolate, oatmeal?"

"He'll like anything you make," Hikari said reassuringly, but Miyako was not won over.

"I'll ask him just to make sure," Miyako said as she turned on her phone. It was just like her to be stubborn.

Mentioning Ken reminded Hikari of how Ken was intensely connected to the ocean as well. Just as she was threatened by its presence, he was too. He suffered countless nightmares by bearing its burdens and even held the key, much to his dismay, to open the gates of darkness. If anyone was affected by the ocean besides just Hikari, it would be Ichijouji Ken. If Hikari whad been experiencing troubles from the ocean, maybe Ken did too.

Much as she didn't like to trouble other people about her problems, Hikari felt as though this was the only choice to advance a step further in ceasing the call of the monsters again. Maybe Ken would know what to do. While Hikari could sense the darkness, it was more than likely that Ken _knew_ what it was — he had been affected by dark power in the past, so he knew (or at least he could differentiate them clearly better than Hikari could, as Hikari's definitions were often vague as she could only feel by emotion). Besides, he was a trustworthy person and would keep anything a secret if asked to.

"Hey, Miyako-san, could you ask Ichijouji-kun if—" Hikari caught herself at the end of her request, realizing the consequences of her actions. If she asked Miyako to ask Ken about the ocean, then Miyako would _know_. She would probably alert the rest of the group about the ocean too, but then again, they could keep it a secret between girls.

Still, Hikari didn't want to take any chances. What were the consequences they would have to face? There was no reason to have Miyako suffer because she suffered. Now to think of it, it would be stupid to ask Ken especially if he never showed any symptoms of encountering the ocean; he seemed perfectly fine when Hikari last saw him, which was about a day ago. "Never mind," Hikari sighed tiredly, and turned to leave. Before Miyako could question her, Hikari ran off without even bidding her friend a farewell.

"Hey, hold on, Hikari-chan!" called Miyako at her friend's sudden movement, impulsively taking a few steps forward. Her steps faltered once she saw Hikari's mad sprint out of the school building. Puzzled, Miyako tapped her cell phone on her chin and mumbled to herself, "I wonder what's going on..."


	3. Suspicious Somethings

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Digimon Adventure 02_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd.

* * *

**Monochrome Ocean  
Chapter 2: Suspicious Somethings**

* * *

8.34 PM.

Ichijouji Ken sat upright by his desk, inscribing his written response onto a sheet of paper. Grimacing at the books piled onto his desk, he mentally lamented the unfinished homework he needed to terminate. _Being in middle school is harder than I thought_, his mind unconsciously stressed. His parents had been patient and understanding enough to see that he had too much homework to even come out of his room, so his mother lovingly served him supper in his room.

Suddenly, something in Ken's mind clicked. He saw a quick flash of the place he dreaded the most, right before his very eyes, and dropped his pencil. In his horror, he didn't even notice.

The scent of the salty air. The gloomy, cold waters. The crack of thick waves breaking against the shore. This was all too familiar to him, but the vision had something added on that furthermore increased Ken's dread: he had heard distorted screams, roars, battle cries, and moans of pain. 

Ken narrowed his eyes and bore a concerned look on his face, but this time it wasn't because of the papers scattered across his desk. Furrowing his brow into a frown, he sat there, frozen, reluctant of what to do next. Minomon noticed Ken's sudden pause and hovered over to his partner's side. "Ken-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, eyes growing more worried as Ken's anxiety became visibly deeper.

Ken responded by opening the bureau drawer to his right. He drew out the black D-3 he kept safely in there. The device weighed carefully against his palm, gleaming with a seemingly evil shimmer. Although it seemed fairly light in weight, it held a tremendous and frightening power.

It had been a long time since he had used it, and it was time to pick up arms again. 

"Ken-chan," echoed Minomon, this time evidently anxious.

Ken stared down at the blank screen on his D-3. "Something... something terrible is beginning. I can feel it." His grip on the D-3 tightened.

* * *

"Hey, something's wrong with Hikari-chan," Miyako mused, stretching onto her bed into a comfortable position. To her left, Poromon landed onto the mattress next to her.

"Why so, Miyako-san?" inquired Poromon politely.

Miyako stared at the ceiling. "I don't know... she seems sad lately. Did you see how she was during lunch today? And... this afternoon, she ran away when she mentioned Ken-kun..." Miyako rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin up with her elbow. "Poromon, what should I do?"

Luckily, Poromon had an infinite amount of pearls of wisdom to give to Miyako, so much that she could practically string a necklace with them. "The best thing to do," he stated, "is to ask Hikari-san herself. You really don't know much of the problem, and she might not even tell you. When she feels ready, she'll open up to you. Let her know you care."

Miyako tapped her chin, taking in the information. "Mmm, you're right," she murmured, rolling onto her back. She closed her eyes and silence fell; nothing could be heard aside from her soft breathing. Suddenly, a quick flash popped up in her mind and she bolted upright, surprising Poromon, who jumped a mile with a loud squawk.

"Aah! Does this mean _Hikari-chan likes Ken-kun_?!" Miyako's eyes widened. She pumped her fists in an exaggerated cry. "NO WAAAAAY!!"

* * *

Right after dinner, just as Hikari was strolling into the room she shared with Taichi, she picked up the familiar tune of **Boléro**, played in digital pitches. Her cell phone was ringing.

Tailmon, who had been stretching on Hikari's bed, leapt down just as Hikari plucked the pink device from her wooden desk. Peering over her shoulder, she asked her partner, "Who would call at this time?"

"Don't know," answered Hikari truthfully, tilting her head to the side. She checked the caller, and there, it read "Takeru."

_Takeru-kun_? wondered Hikari with interest. _Why is he calling_? Reluctantly, she flipped open her phone and answered with a curious, "Hello?" 

Takeru's voice came in from the other side, albeit in a distorted quality. "Hikari-chan! Did I call at a bad time? I'm sorry if I did."

He sounded so innocent that Hikari couldn't help but smile at his politeness. "No. I just finished eating."

"Ah. That's good." Takeru's infectious chuckle came on the other line, but somehow it didn't have his usual sparkle in it. It seemed as if... he was bothered by something. It was not really like the perpetually happy Takeru to be like this.

"Is something wrong, Takeru-kun?" asked Hikari, concerned. "You seem worried."

There was a pause, as if Takeru was trying to find the words to explain his feelings. "Well," he started slowly, "that's what I'm asking you, Hikari-chan."

Hikari froze and her mouth went dry. She was rendered speechless, but her mind suddenly started spinning with multiple panicking thoughts. _He's noticed_, she realized in horror. _I should've been more careful_, Hikari admonished herself, starting to feel a moisture building up on her palms. _I shouldn't have let my guard down. I should have hidden this better. I_—

"Hikari-chan? Are you there?" 

The brunette had forgotten that she was on the phone and nearly dropped her cell phone in surprise at Takeru's voice. "Oh—ahaa," Hikari began shakily. "I'm sorry, Takeru-kun. I—" she looked around the room for something to prompt a believable excuse when her eyes came upon one of her pencils on the floor "—I was doing my... my homework and I dropped my pencil."

"I see." Takeru sounded unsure, but he didn't press her with any more questions.

_Phew, he believed it_, thought Hikari in relief. She took a seat in her chair, and from behind her, Tailmon crawled away onto Hikari's bunk again.

"Hikari-chan... I..." Takeru began again, in the same anxious voice. At the tone of worry in his words, Hikari's heart flipped. Maybe he hadn't believed her. Was he going to ask about _that_...?

"... mmm, never mind," murmured Takeru, dismissing his worries in a mere second, and more cheeriness quickly replaced the gloom in his voice. "Are you studying for the math exam again?"

Hikari was surprised at how easily the subject was dropped, and it left her confused. However, he was no longer inquiring her about her fears, so it was okay, or so she had concluded. She felt terrible for lying to her oldest friend, but a little white lie never hurt every now and then, especially when he didn't have to be tied up with the Dark Ocean. Hikari tried to hide her relief and force calmity in her own voice when she replied, "Um... yeah. I'm still kind of worried about it."

"Don't worry about it. We've went over the whole section at least twice, and you seem to know every problem, so I'm sure you'll do well. And it's okay if you don't, since you tried your best. One test doesn't mean anything."

"Thanks, Takeru-kun."

From the other line, Hikari heard Takeru talking to his mother and Patamon. After a couple of seconds, he returned to his conversation with Hikari with a hasty apology. "Sorry, Hikari-chan," he said hurriedly. "I have to go right now. I'll see you at school tomorrow, and don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

There was a warm, effervescing feeling bubbling in Hikari's heart; she found it awfully sweet of Takeru to call her to help her feel better. "Okay, bye," she said, ready to press the red disconnecting button.

"And Hikari-chan..."

Hikari caught herself before she pressed the end button. "Yes?"

"You know..." Takeru hesitated for a second. "... if you want to talk about anything, you can always talk to me. If you want to, of course, I mean..."

Hikari was stunned, but reluctantly replied, "O-Of course. I will."

"Great. Later." 

"Bye."

Takeru was offline. Hikari hung up as well, and carefully placed the cell phone next to her open workbook. Then, she picked up the pencil that had rolled off her desk and replaced it next to her eraser.

As Hikari exited the room, Tailmon wordlessly stared at her human partner, eyes furrowed into a frown.

* * *

It didn't take too long for Iori to realize all of his friends were acting irregularly.

Well, there was Daisuke, and Daisuke was always random. While he often acted unintentionally silly, he still had some wisdom in him. Sometimes Iori was in awe that someone passionate like Daisuke could be so erratic in behavior.

The twelve of them, Digimon included, were crowded at Daisuke's apartment at night to study. While Iori was at a different grade level, he figured this was a fine opportunity to ask for help on his homework when he needed it. Besides, he barely ever had time to see his friends considering he had to balance both schoolwork and kendo on his shoulders, especially after his mother enrolled him into an afternoon cram school.

Seated at a low table in Daisuke's room, Iori began listing his observations. While Daisuke was munching on the cookies Miyako had made (as well as criticizing her baking skills), Iori saw that between shooting insults at Daisuke, Miyako would consistently stare at both Ken and Hikari. The two, however, were oblivious to the bespectacled girl's observing and were more quiet than usual. Ken looked worried for some reason, and Hikari kept shifting her gaze around Daisuke's room, occasionally scooting her mat closer to the table. Takeru shifted concerned glances towards Hikari and always had a stiff grin whenever talking.

Iori knew that this was too odd to be simply a coincidence. He decided to wait and see what was going on.

* * *

As the group wrapped up their study time together, all of them packed up their books and pencils, ready to leave. Miyako remained at Daisuke's kitchen to wash her dishes before leaving, and although she hadn't asked Takeru and Iori to wait for her, they did anyway.

As Hikari slung her satchel over her shoulder, her D-Terminal suddenly bleeped. Opening up the cover, she discovered an e-mail from... 

Ichijouji Ken was listed as the sender. Curious, she opened the e-mail and read its contents.

_To Hikari-san: I need to talk to you right away. Please see me before you go home. —Ichijouji Ken._

Almost like magic, Hikari somehow comprehended the situation. _He must've seen the ocean too_, she concluded.

* * *

Miyako finished drying her dishes and carefully placed them into the tote bag she had brought. It was one of her sister's, a special designer's edition, no less, but it had enough padding to ensure Miyako that her plates wouldn't break. She had even stuffed papers to cushion them. Her parents would berate her forever for breaking either of those plates. She cringed, remembering the last time her older brother Mantarou had accidentally broken a bowl when his hand slipped.

Miyako bent over and opened her satchel to make sure she had everything. The last time she had lost an eraser at Daisuke's house, she found it impaled with holes at the next study session. It was evident that Daisuke was the culprit, knowing that he often got bored during class lectures. _He seriously needs to find something else to do_, thought Miyako, slightly miffed.

Check and check. Miyako had everything, but to her surprise, found a pink pencil that she knew belonged to Hikari. Pink was Hikari's signature color, and Miyako had seen Hikari purchase that very pencil when they were shopping for school supplies. Noticing Hikari's shoes still at the front door, she knew the younger girl hadn't left yet.

Poromon fluttered around Miyako. "We should be going home now, Miyako-san," he alerted her. "Takeru-san and Iori-san are waiting."

"Hold on." Miyako didn't bother to look up as she rummaged through her bag. "I have Hikari-chan's pencil. I need to give it back to her. Wait for me here." 

"Understood, Miyako-san." Poromon obediently hovered to the front door, just right next to Miyako's shoes.

As Miyako looked around for her friend as fast as her legs would carry her, she caught the sound of Daisuke's rather loud squawk coming from the hallway. She found Daisuke on his way to the bathroom to give Chibimon an emergency bath. "Whoa, what happened to Chibimon?!" cried Miyako, pointing at the dripping Digimon.

"Drink exploded," was Daisuke's terse response.

"Yikes," winced Miyako. Before Daisuke continued to hurry to the bathroom, she remembered to ask him about Hikari. If there was someone that knew Hikari's whereabouts, Daisuke would probably know. Grabbing his shoulder to stop him, Miyako asked, "Daisuke, do you know where Hikari-chan is?"

Daisuke nodded towards one of the doors in the hallway. "She's in my room," he notified her. "She's picking up her stuff. "

"Thanks, Daisuke." Miyako quickly patted the boy's head and lightly shoved him aside, elliciting a startled grunt from him and a yelp from Chibimon. She could still hear Daisuke mildly humoring the fact that Chibimon had gotten dirty from his drink exploding over him.

Miyako picked up familiar voices. The door was slightly ajar, and she saw Hikari still sitting on her mat. Reminding herself that there were people waiting for her, Miyako quickly burst into the room, speedily blabbering, "Hikari-chan, I have your—"

She stopped.

_Ken_ was also in the room too.

_Don't be silly_, was the first thing that came up into her mind. _Hikari-chan and Ken-kun aren't_...

But why were they talking alone? This didn't make sense. There was no other explanation. There was nothing to back it up other than Miyako's previous conclusion. _Maybe they do like each other after all_, she admitted to herself.

"Mi-Miyako-san!" chirped Hikari, who had noticed Miyako's sudden pause. She was standing up and walking over to Miyako. In her shock, Miyako didn't even realize this until Hikari was within a foot away from her.

"Gahhh, I'm so sorry!" shrieked Miyako, a rapid blush flooding to her cheeks. Embarrassed to show her reddening visage, she raced away from the door.

"What for—?"

Too late. Miyako practically leapt into her shoes and flew past Takeru and Iori outside.

She could still hear voices calling after her, but that didn't stop her from sprinting.


	4. Squelched Scares

**Disclaimer:** No property of _Digimon Adventure 02_ belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd.

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry for the lack of updates, so I've extended the chapter a bit! Ironically, while I was typing this, I was playing upbeat happy music.

* * *

**Monochrome Ocean  
Chapter 3: Squelched Scares**

* * *

"Poromon, I feel so pathetic!" was the first thing Miyako said when she collapsed face-down on her bed.

The bird Digimon stared at her sympathetically, consoling his partner with a small pat from his tiny wings. "I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding, Miyako-san. Hikari-san will understand. Perhaps discussing this matter will clear any awkward feelings. There is a good opportunity to catch her alone at school—" 

"—AHHHH!" Miyako suddenly bounced up with a look of sheer fright, causing Poromon to fall back in surprise.

"What am I going to DOOO?!" moaned Miyako helplessly. "I forgot about school! It'll be so weird seeing her and—"

Poromon winced and rubbed the back of his head. "You don't have to talk to her immediately tomorrow," he calmly suggested. "Talk to her whenever you're ready. She's your friend, so she'll understand." 

In response, the violet-haired girl breathed a heavy sigh. Turning over, she sighed, "Yeah... Hikari-chan and I are friends..." A minor frown crossed her features and she sighed again. "But she knows that I... and Ken-kun..." 

"Miyako-san..."

Clutching her head again, Miyako groaned, "This is _definitely_ going to be an awkward conversation!!"

* * *

3:24 AM.

Ken was curled tightly on his right side, a preferred sleeping position that seemed to work the wonders of slumber on him. All of his studying had tired him out, and the moment he lied down everything seemed to black out. Beside him was Minomon, snoozing peacefully as he snugged close to his partner.

In the dark room, Ken's flatscreen computer monitor suddenly flickered. The machinery of his computer booted, connecting his computer online. The screen buzzed and flashed as if it had a low signal. Ken's black D-3 that was sitting on his desk suddenly began beeping and its screen glowed.

The glow of the computer slightly brightened the room, awakening Minomon. In a second, he was wide awake as soon as he heard the D-3 beep. _Ken-chan wasn't using the computer today_, he mentally told himself, and remembered how tense Ken had been lately.

_It can't be_, thought Minomon in horror as a shadowy figure took place on the face of the computer monitor. With a quick movement, he shook Ken awake. "Ken-chan! Ken-chan!" he cried, not bothering to keep his voice down.

Luckily, Ken was a light sleeper and his eyelids slowly lifted. "Mm... what is it, Minomon?" he mumbled.

"Ken-chan, the computer's on! Something's happening!"

"_What_?!" Ken was suddenly awake just as Minomon had been when he first noticed.

To his terror, Ken saw the evidence that confirmed Minomon's words correct. "Who turned it on?" asked Ken. "I didn't turn on the computer today!"

Minomon clung onto Ken worriedly. "_I know_," he whispered, frightened. 

Ken carefully climbed down from his bunk with Minomon hovering behind him. He stood in front of the computer, squinting and scrutinizing the monitor. Minomon settled himself on Ken's shoulder and held onto it tightly. "_Be careful_, Ken-chan." 

"I will."

To their relief, no shadowy monster showed up on the face of the monitor, but an e-mail suddenly popped up onto the screen. 

GATEKEEPER OF DARKNESS, WE IMPLORE YOUR AID.

Ken gasped and a drop of cold sweat broke out on his face. Minomon, on the other hand, was consumed in worry.

"It can't be!" he cried. In all honesty, Minomon had hoped it would be a sick joke, yet it wasn't. An uneasy feeling began to augment at the pit of his stomach. When he saw Ken's hands reach for the keyboard, he could not help but say, "Ken-chan."

Ken's thin fingers clacked skillfully against the keys and he sent his message: _who are you_? 

WE ARE BEINGS OPPRESSED BY THE LORD.  
THUS WE ARE IN NEED OF YOUR HELP.

The answer still left an air of grotesque mystery about these creatures. Ken had initially thought them to be Digimon, but now he wasn't so sure. The sending address appeared to be a sort of mask. Still, he had to find out more. 

_Why must I help_?

It didn't take long for the reply to come back. 

YOU ARE THE GATEKEEPER OF DARKNESS.  
YOU HOLD THE KEY THAT CONNECTS THE PORTAL FROM OUR WORLD TO YOURS.  
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HIDE IT,  
THERE IS ALWAYS DARKNESS IN YOUR HEART.

The response was intimidating. Ken took a look at his black D-3, its screen still glowing brightly with a hidden eeriness. From next to him, Minomon began to whimper.

"Ken-chan, let's stop," begged Minomon helplessly, but Ken began typing again, attempting to reword his next question so as not to invoke any more growing enmities. Although his approach was hypothetical, his position in this situation seemed obvious. 

_What if I refuse_?

"_Please_, Ken-chan," whimpered his Digimon partner from beside him.

Again, the reply came instantly. 

THIS IS NOT A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU CAN REFUSE.  
IF YOU DO, CONSEQUENCES WILL POSSIBLY TAKE PLACE.  
REMEMBER THIS WELL.

"_Consequences_?" repeated Ken. The message sent an uncomfortable shudder up his spine. Before he could type in a reply, the computer suddenly clicked off. The monitor blacked out, and Ken's D-3 stopped reacting. He stared at the blank monitor, speechless, unsure of what to do. Unsure of what to _think_. Unsure of what to _feel_.

After what seemed like hours, Minomon spoke, "They're gone."

"Yeah." 

"Let's go to sleep, Ken-chan," suggested Minomon as if nothing had happened. "You need it for school tomorrow." 

"Yeah," agreed Ken, but he didn't move. Only when Minomon began gently urging him towards his bunkbed did Ken start moving forward, albeit slowly.

As Ken crawled under his now-cold covers, Minomon settled beside his head. "Don't worry, Ken-chan," he whispered. "I'll protect you if they come again."

"Th-Thanks." Ken tried to smile, but his feelings made it look strained. As he lied down flat onto his bed, his thoughts were circumscribed to the messages from those e-mails, tumbling around his mind in circles. _No matter how much you hide it, there is always darkness in your heart. Remember this well._

It took both of them a long time before Ken and Minomon could get to sleep again.

* * *

Anyone who took a gander at Inoue Miyako would know that she was nervous about something. The bespectacled second year was never good at hiding her feelings. Way unlike Hikari herself.

Hikari could sense the awkward atmosphere building between them. Since that event, Miyako had hardly spoken a word to her. During lunchtime, Miyako bantered with Daisuke, shared laughs with Takeru, and didn't say anything else. Hikari did notice that occasionally Miyako would stare at her from the corner of her eye and quickly look away when Hikari turned to her.

Once or twice had Miyako directly address Hikari with a shy, "Aahhh... Hikari-chan..." as if she had something to say to the younger girl, but it was always shrugged off. So Miyako had pretended there was nothing between them, and yet made no effort to communicate. Hikari's end wasn't much better; she was the type to keep her mouth shut, so she said nothing.

They were close friends, weren't they? So why had their friendship come to this?

Did Miyako overhear the subject of the conversation? Hikari had made sure to speak in a low whisper, but there was no evidence that the words had eluded Miyako's ears. No, Miyako seemed to be in a rush so she wouldn't have known... _would she_?

_I should talk to Miyako-san_, Hikari kept reminding herself throughout class. _I should know whether she knows what Ichijouji-kun and I have been feeling..._

Her mind felt far away from the class' lecture and the short-haired girl found herself too worried to concentrate. _... I knew it. I can't do it. I can never say what I want._

Hikari wistfully cast her vision to the window, where she saw the empty soccer field gleaming beneath the shimmering sun. _Onii-chan, I wish I could be more courageous like you._

* * *

The musical chime of the school bells marked the dismissal of class. Students poured out of classrooms, gathered at shoe lockers to switch shoes, and departed for either home, club duty, or cram school.

Miyako was not one of those students and took a lot of time getting out of class as usual due to her glum, lethargic mood. Regrettably, she had missed all of her chances to talk to Hikari today; the moment when Miyako had gathered up her courage to discuss that conversation Hikari and Ken had, all chances were shot down. Zero. Miss.

Fail.

Miyako groaned at her cowardliness, but knew she couldn't mope forever. _I'll call her tonight_, she promised herself as she strolled towards the exit of the school.

"When are you going to speak to her?" 

The voice took Miyako by surprise. She stumbled back with a loud gasp.

The voice revealed herself from the shadows. Tailmon appeared with a stern expression on her feline face.

Miyako sighed in relief, clutching her throbbing heart. "Oh," she breathed. "It's just Tailmon."

The cat Digimon was in no mood for greetings. "When are you going to speak to Hikari?" she repeated again.

"_Hikari_, you say..." Miyako's face fell at the mention of her friend's name and her crestfallen mood overtook her once more.

"It's strange," replied Tailmon towards Miyako's gloom. "I don't know what happened since Hikari's not telling me anything, but I saw what happened the other night. Hikari made me wait outside with Takeru and the others, but I saw."

Miyako's cloudy expression transformed into a baffled frown. Tailmon wasn't in the room when that happened? Miyako had spun around so quickly that she must have not noticed this detail.

Still, Tailmon went on, her expression growing darker by the moment. "Since you left, Hikari hasn't been the same and her condition's growing worse." She looked up at Miyako with worry tinted in her blue eyes. Miyako's eyes widened. Tailmon was always the cool-headed one, and there was barely a time where Tailmon had looked so down. Pity grew in her stomach.

"Did something happen?" came the question Miyako had been dreading to hear.

"Um... well..." There were no rights words to articulate. How could Miyako tell Tailmon when she couldn't even tell her _best friend_ face-to-face?!

Tailmon let it go. "If you're not willing to tell me, then I ask of you to _please_ speak to Hikari. Will you?"

"I..."

She didn't let Miyako speak, and her next words surprised her. "You're the only person Hikari ever talks to besides Takeru. You should know something. As a friend, you should know what's going on and what you can do to help! I've tried getting through to Hikari, but you know how she is... it's hard for her to talk about what's really happening! She needs to know she can't do everything by herself!"

Flabbergasted, Miyako was speechless. She had expected a command or even a reprimanding for intruding Hikari's private conversation with Ken, but _this_ was completely surprising. What Tailmon had just requested from her immediately rained on her in a shower of confusion. Weren't they just talking about Miyako running out on Hikari that other night? What was Tailmon getting at?

"Wait," interrupted Miyako cautiously, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean about helping? What's going on?"

Tailmon hesitated, and then answered, "Something's wrong with Hikari. I don't know what it is, but something's wrong. She's been so distant for days. I think... I think..."

"Yes?"

"... I think it might be the Dark Ocean," concluded Tailmon slowly. "The last time she's been like this was because of that. I have no doubt about it. It _has_ to be the ocean."

Miyako looked puzzled. "Didn't Ken-kun—"

"That's what I thought too. It's over. It should have been over, but it turns out it isn't. I don't know why, but the monsters want her back." Tailmon's claws grew into balled fists. "If they pull Hikari back, there's no telling what may happen! I want to protect Hikari, but she's not letting me! She might have become more open, but changes don't take place that quickly! Hikari's still passive after all these years and I fear for what might happen to her!"

The heartfelt outburst had left Tailmon nearly in tears. Miyako's guilt of not communicating with Hikari augmented, and she kneeled to be at eye-level with the Digimon.

"Tailmon..." Miyako wanted to reassure her comfort, but couldn't find the right words for it.

Tailmon finally regained her composure. She opened her mouth to speak, this time with a different anecdote. "Do... do you remember the time when we were searching for my Holy Ring? And how you and Hikari fell into the fault?"

Miyako nodded. "Yeah," she said in a hushed voice.

"And how we were sucked into the Dark Ocean and you managed to convince Hikari to fight?"

"Yeah."

"You got through to her more than anyone else did. More than _I_ did. When she was lost, you helped her out." Tailmon paused. "You told her that... you believed in her. That she didn't need to fight alone when she had allies. Friends. Your words got her moving and led her to fight whatever has been decaying inside of her. I would like for you to do this again, and I'm not just asking this as a favor. She needs us. She needs _you_."

The pieces of the puzzle soon connected with each other, and Miyako recalled the times Hikari had that sad look in her eyes that precluded outside help. Yes, there was something wrong, now that Tailmon had mentioned it, yet there was a cloud of uncertainty that circled Miyako's confidence. The last time she had faced the Dark Ocean, she narrowly survived the battle and carried home many scars, both emotional and physical. "T-This is really sudden," blurted out Miyako. "I-I don't know if I can—"

"Yes, you can. You have no choice. You're one of the only people who can help. You're a major proponent in catalyzing a change in her. Will you?" 

The flash of Hikari flooded back to Miyako, and she nodded. If it was all to protect a friend, then of course she would risk her life. She had already done that many times, and this time was no different; after all, Miyako knew that deep in heart, even with trivial quarrels, Hikari would always help her. They were friends, weren't they?

"I _will_," declared Miyako clearly. A confident smile spread across her lips and she continued, "Don't worry, Tailmon. We'll save Hikari-chan from those evil monsters!"

A satisfied chuckle escaped Tailmon's mouth. "That's what I wanted to hear. Thank you, Miyako."

Miyako tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Am I the only one who knows about this?"

"Perhaps. You are the only one I have requested for help so far."

"Should we tell the others?"

Tailmon shrugged. "I believe it would be a good idea, even if Hikari isn't concordant with it."

Another thought popped up into Miyako's mind. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Let's talk to Hikari-chan first, so that she knows ahead of time that we've got her back. Did she go home yet?"

Tailmon shook her head. "I doubt it. The last time I checked, she was here."

"All right, then let's go!" trumpeted Miyako. With Tailmon following, she hurried towards the front doors of her school, where the shoe lockers lay. "Let me change out of these first," she said, swiping her school shoes from her socked feet. As soon as she looked up to open her locker, a familiar figure caught her eye. It was not hard to miss the girl standing at the school entrance.

"Hikari-chan!" noted Miyako out loud. She did a double-take and immediately noticed that something was wrong. When she looked closely, her eyes widened and a gasp left her face suddenly pallid.

Hikari's figure was distorted like a television with bad reception, and it flickered every so often. 

It did not take long for Miyako to figure out what was going on. Ignoring her shoes, she sprinted towards Hikari. "_HIKARI-CHAN_!!"


End file.
